During the first joint address to Congress of his second term, Donald Trump said his administration was “just getting started”. The president read a message from Volodymyr Zelensky indicating that Ukraine would sign a rare earth minerals deal and was ready for peace—and that Russia, too, had sent “strong signals” it wanted an end to the war. Mr Trump also promised more “reciprocal” tariffs in the coming weeks. Democratic members protested during the speech, with one—Al Green—being ejected from the chamber.
The parties negotiating Germany’s next coalition government said they had agreed to set up a €500bn ($530bn) debt-financed fund for infrastructure. The conservative Christian Democratic alliance and the Social Democrats also plan to exempt defence spending above 1% of GDP from Germany’s deficit-limiting debt brake. The outgoing parliament will vote on the deal, which requires a two-thirds majority, this month.
Arab states endorsed a $53bn plan for the administration and reconstruction of post-war Gaza. The plan, which was unveiled by Egypt and discussed at the Arab League Summit in Cairo, offers an alternative to Mr Trump’s suggestion that America “develop” the enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. Palestinians would not be forced out of the war-ravaged enclave under Egypt’s proposal, unlike America’s.
China set an annual growth target of 5% for 2025. The figure, which is consistent with the past two years and in line with analysts’ forecasts, defies trade tensions with America and domestic economic malaise. The country also raised the headline budget deficit target from 3% to 4% of GDP and announced plans to increase its defence budget by 7.2%.
CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong-based firm, agreed to sell two ports along the Panama Canal to a group of investors led by BlackRock, an American asset manager, for more than $20bn. The companies announced the deal amid reports that Panama was considering cancelling CK Hutchison’s contract under pressure from Mr Trump. America’s president has baselessly claimed that the waterway is controlled by China.
Two suicide bombers attacked a military base in Bannu, a city in northwestern Pakistan. At least 12 people were killed, including several children, and 30 injured. The explosions collapsed the roof of a nearby mosque. A group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack—the third by militants in Pakistan since Ramadan began on Sunday.
In their bid to revive the woolly mammoth, scientists at Colossal Biosciences, an American biotech firm, genetically engineered a new species: the woolly mouse. The company hopes the first mammoth calf will be born by 2029. Woolly mice are defined by dense, golden fur rather than long tusks. Their cuteness “was the main unintended consequence” of their creation, said the company’s boss.
Figure of the day: 65m, the number of tourists who visited New York in 2024—the second-highest number in the city’s history. Read the full story.
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has brought exceptional changes to American politics—with consequences for the rest of the world, too. Read The US in brief, a daily update of the domestic political stories that matter. Sign up here to receive it as a newsletter, each weekday, in your inbox.